Happy Friday
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with
God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:31-38
Signing Up for the Revolution: We give Mary credit for agreeing to the scandalous shame of being an unwed mother in a small, first century town. But to understand all that she was agreeing to we need to remember that she was told that her son would be called the “Son of God,” and be the true king of Israel. But Herod was already king and Caesar Augustus claimed the title “Son of God.” These were dangerous times and Mary was signing up to be part of a revolution. Mary was one tough lady.
Disruptive Questions: Three provocative questions came my way this week. They were each delivered with sarcasm, but they struck me as worth pondering. 1) Have you left your echo chamber lately? 2) Are you more interested in hearing or being heard? 3) Who sets your agenda?
Most Popular Verse – 2018: The folks who run YouVersion – the most popular Bible app in the world – recently announced the “most shared, bookmarked, and highlighted verse for 2018.” It is … drum roll please…. Isaiah 41:10: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” It doesn’t take much cultural acumen to realize the state of today’s soul if this is the most cited passage.
Ethical Shortcomings: In a recent discussion about fake news, a journalist told me that the professor who taught the Ethics in Journalism class he took as an undergrad, was sleeping with one of the students. The journalist wasn’t arguing that ethics do not matter, just that they are easier to teach than uphold. To which I would add, and easier to uphold than embody. For the last year I’ve been increasingly aware that who I am matters more than what I do – and increasingly troubled by the fact that what I do is better than who I am. Thankfully, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Word of the Year: For the last fifty years, Time Magazine has announced a Person of the Year, and the Oxford Dictionary has proclaimed a Word of the Year. The first is more popular, but I find the second more interesting. Here is the run up to this year’s announcement: 2000 – bling; 2002 – Axis of Evil; 2008 – bail out; 2009 – tweet; 2010 – app ; 2012 – hashtag; 2013 – selfie; 2014 – vape; 2015 – the “word” of the year was an emoji ; 2016 – post-truth; and 2017 – youthquake (which won over news-jacking and white fragility because of the way young people shaped elections in Europe). If you have a guess for 2018, send them my way.
The Conversion of Snoop Dog: I’ve read that veteran rap artist Snoop Dogg – aka: Calvin Broadus Jr. – has given his life to Christ. I pray that’s true. He’s clearly been searching. In 2009 he joined the Nation of Islam and in 2012 he became a Rastafarian. Those in the know say he started considering the claims of Christ in 2016 and is about to release a Gospel album. Perhaps I should check Snopes. (Or would that be Snoopes?)
Need a Christmas Idea for Your Spouse? Bezos has suggestions, but if you are looking for something more meaningful, you might consider these: 1) years ago, Jimmy Carter promised Rosalyn that he would never again complain when she was late; 2) I have wondered if it would be possible to gift wrap my pride and hand it over. I’d like to get rid of it.
Christmas Patience: In the same way ER docs know that full moons, Friday nights and hot summer days lead to a spike in traffic, pastors know that Decembers – which are full of family gatherings (or the lack of family gathering), year-end deadlines, financial strain and spiked eggnog – make the last two weeks in December a busy time for pastoral care. Be kind and patient. Many of those around you are really stressed right now.
Human Depravity: Malcomb Muggeridge called human depravity “at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.” You can click here to read, The Bad News on Human Nature, an article by Christian Jarrett, a neuroscientist, whose scan of the literature suggests that science may be proving that we do have a sin problem.
Quotes Worth Requoting: In honor of the passing of 41: 1) “There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it, Lord. Amen.” George H.W. Bush And, “Those that travel the high road of humility in Washington are not bothered by heavy traffic.” Former Senator Alan Simpson
Closing Prayer (for Second Sunday in Advent): O God, who did look on humanity when they had fallen down into death and resolve to redeem them by the advent of your only-begotten Son, grant, we ask you, that they who confess his glorious incarnation may also be admitted to the fellowship of him their Redeemer; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Saint Ambrose